Ernst Tenaja Canyon
Jeff Moore, Alan Cressler, Doug Strait, Paul Aughey, Manuel Beers
11-10-06 Ernst Tinaja Canyon, TX
Brewster, Rio Grande Village
Campsite: NAD27 291509.83 1030106.50 +-12
This morning, I rose at 7:30 AM and deposited a very sizable turd into the earth below a large rock. I then took a few pictures and watched the sunlight sweep across the desert toward our campsite. After everyone woke up, ate, and prepared themselves, we ventured into Ernst Tinaja Canyon.
The canyon is quite beautiful. A wide gravel channel feeds into the lower canyon. The steep slope of the thinly-bedded, yellowish-tan limestone immediately catches your eye as the canyon walls escalate in heights upwards of 30’ on either side. Upstream, limestone begins to poke up through the gravel and the canyon changes shape and character. The walls narrow, light dims, and eroded bedrock lines the canyon from one side to the other.
We soon reached our first climb up. Ahead, a pool of water blocked our path. Doug tried to climb up a steep, smoothly-slick slope to the left but hurt for footholds. I bouldered up the right wall but ran out of handholds so I tried Doug’s route. My boots slid for traction as I climbed up to a small, eroded alcove. From there, I grasp a fracture in the rock and wedged the sides of my boots into a narrow crack moving slowly until I reached a small, rock saddle.
Now, I just needed my pack. Doug offered to tie it on if I had webbing. I told him where to find my webbing and he tied it on and tossed the loose end up. I quickly grasp it and launched my back up the steep slope. Jeff chose to wade the water so I prepared a hand line and braced myself to hold his weight as he ascended an 8’ climb up barefoot.
Not far ahead, the canyon widened and light highlighted the gravel floor. Only one more climb up required attention but I scaled it with ease climbing up a slope on the right. The others, except Paul, chose a more exposed route on the left. We continued ahead. I took several pictures and particularly enjoyed the cacti filled rock walls.
Paul checked out many potential caves along the way, GPS: NAD27 291525.67 1030029.95 +-17. Later, the canyon seemed to descend and diminish splitting left and right and ending in open desert. I first went left then looped around to the right and followed the leftward route again to the rest of the group.
Everyone began heading out. On the way, we watched Manuel try to climb up to a few caves. I slightly twisted my ankle when my right foot lay over as I walked across a large boulder landing me on the ground uninjured. I caught up with Paul and we hiked back to camp talking about South America. Soon after, we drove to Boquillas canyon.
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